Two Athens-Clarke police officers and the wife of another officer slain in the line of duty will be joining thousands of other bicyclists from across the country in the 2013 Police Unity Tour, a trip lasting hundreds of miles to honor officers killed in the line of duty.

But to finance the road trip that begins May 9 and culminates three days later at the National Law Enforcement Officer's Memorial in Washington, D.C., they need to raise $6,000, the total cost of their entry fees.

Joining Athens-Clarke police Lt. David Gabriel and Senior Officer David Jordan on the ride will be Melissa Christian, whose husband, Elmer "Buddy" Christian III, was shot to death while on duty March 2011. They will set out in Portsmouth, Va., and pedal 250 miles to the nation's capital to kick off National Police Week.

Melissa Christian last year founded the Buddy Christian Foundation, a nonprofit with a mission to prevent law enforcement line of duty deaths, and assist officers' surviving family members.

Last year, she rode for her husband. She will do the same in May, but also for Donald Moon, an officer with the Athens Police Department slain in 1963 and whose name will be added to the memorial wall.

"Each rider wears a bracelet that has the name of the officer they are riding for engraved on it," Melissa Christian said. "Once the riders reach the police memorial wall in D.C., they present the fallen officer's family with the bracelet as a testament that their officer will never be forgotten."

To help raise funds for Unity Tour entry fees, Athens-Clarke police officers are selling whole Boston butts that they will smoke over pecan wood. The butts will be available for pick-up Saturday at police headquarters at 3035 Lexington Road.

The Buddy Christian Foundation is selling tickets for Boston butts in advance. Each ticket is $35 and entitles the bearer to pick up one fully cooked Boston butt. Each will feed between eight to 10 people and are being made available just in time for weekend Super Bowl parties.

There are a limited number of tickets, which can be purchased online at www.buddychristianfoundation.org.

For more information about the Police Unity Tour, the Boston butt fundraiser, or the Buddy Christian Foundation, call (502) 694-2370 or email info@buddychristianfoundation.org.